Shine Children Shine
English Summer Camp 2018, Kampong Cham
The background
As tourism and foreign investments grew in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, and many provinces, new jobs were created, especially in the service industry. Young people are trying to learn English to improve their career prospects for a better future. Yet many high school graduates, especially those from poor provinces and low-income families, need better English language skills.
2018 Summer English Camp
In May 2018, we initiated the idea of a summer English Camp for underprivileged high school students in Kampong Cham. Thanks to the support of PFDO, thirty local high school students who were keen to participate in their first summer camp enrolled for the three-week program from August 3-24. From Hong Kong, seven young volunteers offered only their time, talents, and skills but a big giving heart.
In just three weeks, the young teachers had inspired shy students to speak and more outspoken students to engage in dialogues. Part of the summer camp's goal was to practice speaking and singing in a musical choreographed by the volunteer teachers. They were to perform in front of an audience of children at the learning centre run by Daughters of Charity, the missionary sisters we also supported in Phnom Penh.
The joy and excitement of the summer camp culminated when all the students boarded two mini-buses to Phnom Penh, and for most of them, it was the first time they visited the capital city. August 23rd would be the big day of testing what they had learned - The performance of 'The Tiger," a musical based on Cambodian folklore.
Practising the song they performed after two weeks